When the World Stopped Turning
by Hockeygirl28
Summary: We will never forget the fallen. We will never forget the day. The day when the world stopped turning. When the twin towers fell to the ground and the sky was filled with black smoke. The day that changed our nation forever. 9/11 tribute.


**Since it's 9/11 I decided to do a tribute story in honor of the many victims and their families. Kind of inspired by the song **_**Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning.**_

**I don't own young justice**

No matter how young they were, they all remembered the day when the world stopped turning. It was a tragedy that no one could forget, a dark day that changed a nation.

It was a pleasant September morning, the sky was blue, birds were chirping and a nation was blissfully unaware of the horrific tragedy yet to come in the passing hours. A small five-year-old girl huddled under a blanket as she sat on the couch in front of the TV. Her feverish forehead caused her thick blonde hair to stick to her face. Her mother sat next to her while her older sister was at school and her father was nowhere to be seen. The girl coughed into her arm as her mother tried to offer her another cough drop but she refused. Giving up Paula began surfing through the channels when her young daughter hoarsely cried, "Wait! Go back!" Her mother quickly turned back to the news channel.

Both of them gasped in horror as the video of a plane crashing into the twin towers flickered across the screen. The phone rang in the kitchen and Paula left to go get it while her daughter stared wide-eyed at the horrible events unfolded in front of her very eyes.

Tears welled up in the little blonde's eyes, as she understood what was going on. She saw the people jump from the flaming building and the thick deadly black smoke rise into the sky. It was like a small portion of hell came to earth. As the towers crumbled so did her heart. The witnessing of such an immense loss of life crushed her spirit, and her soul burned with the victims in the rubble amongst the ashes and twisted ruins of metal.

Even though she was so young, so naive, so innocent, and completely unaffected physically, Artemis still vividly remembers the day when the world stopped turning. Something changed in her heart that day, when the New York skies filled with black smoke and the streets were littered with the remains of an American symbol. She could almost smell the burning New York air.

Upon laying her stormy grey eyes on the charred skeleton of the structure she made a promise. The little girl vowed that she was not going to let anything like this happen ever again. She would not let this evil destroy the lives of thousands and pollute the human spirit. The unholy fire that burned the innocent souls of the victims was now fading, but she could see a new fire aflame in the eyes of those climbing out of the rubble. It was a light in the darkness that had fallen over the nation, a flicker of _hope, determination, retribution, and redemption_. The American spirit was alight in the eyes of thousands as they got back up. The same flame sparkled in her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

A small Romani circus boy, no more than three, stood in the middle of the circus grounds. He gazed at the deep blue New York sky as the second plane crashed into the twin towers. The thick ebony cloud of death soon filled the atmosphere, replacing where the towers once stood proud and high in the sky. The boy's big blue eyes were full of confusion, it was all happening so fast and he didn't understand. The distant sound of roaring fires, twisting metal and the screaming sirens assaulted his ears, as it seemed at that moment the world had stopped turning.

The memory would forever remain in his mind. It was the most horrible two hours he'd ever witness even if he didn't yet understand the magnitude of the situation.

It wasn't until later when he was older that he truly understood what had taken place. What he had seen. The brutal reality was like a dagger slicing through his stomach. The grief stung like a bitch and the trauma was like a slap to the face. The sense of loss crushed him, and anger flowed through his veins. His eyes filled with the fire of hope. They will be redeemed, avenged, justified. He would make sure of that.

A tiny magician hummed to herself as she colored in her father's magic shop in New York. She had just turned four a week before. She still wore her birthday crown on her head as if she was a queen. Her father was busy restocking and her mother was at work so she kept herself occupied with her new coloring book and crayons. Suddenly an explosion shook lower Manhattan. The young girl stared at the source in shock as her father rushed toward her.

_The World Trade Center was hit._

It wasn't soaking in yet; just the sheer shock had paralyzed them both.

_But mommy works there._

Both Giovanni and Zatanna knew Sindella worked on the 95th floor of the north tower. The young girl remembers the day when her mother took her to work with her.

_Mommy?_

Her father tried to conceal his choked sob; his daughter was starting to get worried. _"Daddy, is mommy going to be ok?"_ she asked but he could not bring himself to tell the girl the truth as the grief crushed him. Tears poured down her porcelain like skin as her father's silence spoke volumes to her and at that moment she understood something.

_Mommy was never coming home._

The little girl's heart filled with sorrow and she didn't want to believe what was happening. She sobbed on her father's shoulder as he held her in his tight grip, both inconsolable with grief. The one they loved so much was ripped out of their lives.

_And they never even got to say goodbye._

Wally remembers walking home from the bus, his face full of happiness and pride, as he was almost too excited to tell his mother about his day at kindergarten. That all vanished when he saw his mother on the couch, crying. He turned his attention to the screen on the television. There were buildings and fire, lots and lots of fire. He didn't understand why she scooped him up into a big bear hug. He didn't comprehend the disaster. He wouldn't for a while, but when the day came two years after the fact it was like a crushing weight.

He didn't remember anything besides the bare details of that day, but that was enough to make an unforgettable impression. The same impression that made him realize the cold hard truth that the world wasn't as kind as he thought.

After that fateful September day he was changed, the nation was changed. He recalled the news reports, ground zero looking like an ugly blemish in the New York landscape. A scar that was a painful reminder of the immense loss of life that has taken place in so little time. He could barely even grasp the concept that more than 3,000 innocent people died that day, but it hurt. Like it had hurt the nation, everyone was at a loss. It was at that moment he decided he was going to change. He was going to be a hero, he was going to protect the innocent and make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

Conner wasn't even alive September 11, 2001, but he still remembers. He witnessed it through the implanted memories. He saw what happened as others did that day, he knew what had transpired. He knew how many souls the world lost, the lives that were changed, the families that were broken. But he still didn't understand _why_.

Why did they have to die? What did they ever do? The answer is _nothing_. They didn't do a damn thing, but their lives were still taken. _Stolen_. It was a concept that confused him. In a way he understood, but at the same time he didn't. Because he wasn't there when the world stopped turning.

M'gann wasn't there either during the attacks, but she had learned about it. She learned about the towers and how many they had held, how many that had perished. But she didn't understand how humans could do this to each other. They were the same species yet they try to eradicate each other through war. How could beings capable of so much love able to hate as they do. But that wasn't all she learned. She saw how even humans were capable of great love and great hate _hope_ was their greatest power. It was hope that brought them out of the ashes and hope that helped them rebuild. It was hope what made them survive.

Ten years after the event the heroes stood at ground zero, each had a mournful expression gracing their features. Their hearts heavy as the sense of loss still hung thick in the air. It was almost hard to believe that where they were standing was where the nation lost so much. It all had happened so fast. In 102 minutes both towers were reduced to flaming piles of twisted metal and dust. In 102 minutes 3,000 lives were lost. In 102 minutes a nation was forever changed. But through the darkness and loss there was a small light and it was hope. Hope was what got them back on their feet ready to rebuild. Hope was how they survived.

There they all stood with the nation, hearts filled with grief, fire burning in their eyes and souls filled with hope. They would never forget the day the world had stopped turning.

**So what did you think I worked really hard on this so I want reviews. I dedicate this to all the people who died on 9/11 and their families. **_**We will never forget.**_

**Please review (it will make my day)**


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